President of the Republic of Togo Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe arrived in Beijing Sunday afternoon for a week-long state visit to China at the invitation of President Hu Jintao.

 

During his stay in Beijing, Faure is expected to hold talks with Hu, and meet and confer with Premier Wen Jiabao and top legislator Wu Bangguo. The two sides will have an exchange of views on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern.

 

Faure will also travel to Shaanxi Province in the northwest and the country's economic powerhouse Shanghai in east China.

 

It is Faure's first China visit since he assumed the Togolese presidency in May 2005.

 

(Xinhua News Agency February 13, 2006)